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Box Score 2 NEW ORLEANS – The Wayland Baptist volleyball team earned its most impressive win to date here Friday as the 19
th-ranked Pioneers gutted out two victories in as many matches on the first day of the Big East Blastoff.
Taking on a University of Mobile, Ala., team ranked the equivalent of 36
th, Wayland (6-0) prevailed 24-26, 26-24, 27-25, 27-25 before triumphing over a pesky Faulkner, Ala., team, 25-17, 23-25, 28-26, 25-17.
Against Mobile, a team that went 31-4 last season, Wayland made a series of comebacks before finally putting away the Rams.
"It was a great match for us competitively. They're a solid team," WBU coach
Jim Giacomazzi said. "This was a great test for us."
The Pioneers trailed most of the way in the opening set, but assumed their first lead at 22-21 and then 23-21. But Wayland put up only one more point while the Rams ran off five to take it, 26-24.
Wayland was in danger of falling behind 2-0 as the Pioneer trailed in the second set by as many as seven. WBU rallied to take a 22-21 lead, only to lose the next two points which prompted a Pioneer timeout.
Mobile had match point, 24-23, but the Pioneers ran off three straight to win, 26-24, and even the match.
Wayland also trailed by as many as seven in the third before once again rallying. After failing to secure the win on the first two match points, a kill by
Chelsey Driskill and net call against the Rams on match point #3 did it, 27-25.
True to the rest of the match, the fourth set also was tight, with Wayland leading by as many as eight but then falling behind by as much as five. Just like the third, the Pioneers put the Rams away on the third match point, with back-to-back kills by Driskill and
Cindy Horn doing the job, 27-25.
"We did some things we've been working on, but we didn't do them at the same time," Giacomazzi said. "We kept rallies going and got our high-percentage hitters the ball."
Shahala Hawkins was credited with 24 kills and hit .299 while also getting four solo blocks and four block assists. Driskill landed a dozen kills (.370) while Horn had nine along with 15 digs and three aces.
Rossanna Ramos led the team with 27 digs, while
Mallorie Ellis and
Emily Welch got 11 apiece.
Giacomazzi had high praise for sophomore
Machala Noack, one of several bench players who contributed.
"See the younger ones come in and perform when their number is called gives me lots of joy," the coach said.
Mobile went on to defeat both Mississippi Valley State (25-13,25-13,25-18) and Xavier (25-21,23-25,25-21,25-14), while Wayland took out Faulkner (3-2) in four.
In what was characterized as a sloppy match, Hawkins put down 28 kills (.301) plus had 13 digs and two aces. Driskill followed with 13 kills while Ramos had 28 digs, Horn 22 and
Cat Wiechmann 11. Welch had 27 assists and Wiechmann 26.
The Pioneers are back at it Saturday against two Louisiana schools, facing Xavier at 9 a.m. and Loyola at 1 p.m.
